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Reps Member Slams Deputy Speaker, Says Otti Will Be Re-Elected in 2027
A member of the House of Representatives, Obi Aguocha, has declared that Dr Alex Otti will be re-elected as Abia State governor in 2027.
Aguocha made the declaration in a response to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who reportedly boasted that Otti would be the last member of the Labour Party (LP) to be governor of Abia.
In a statement issued on Monday, Aguocha, who represents Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency of Abia, said Kalu’s comment on Otti and the LP is “condescending, denigrating, and disrespectful.”
Aguocha said it is hypocritical for Kalu to praise Otti’s administration while simultaneously making negative remarks against the governor.
“My dear colleague, your open vituperation and remarks against our Governor, Labour Party, and Abia State was very condescending, denigrating, and disrespectful in every sense of the word,” the statement reads.
“Your personal opinion and partisanship aside. Your patently repeated boasting and referring to yourself as No. 6 in the order of leadership hierarchy of the Federal Government seen in the video clip portrays you less as a leader and more like a man with an open display of brazenness and rabid indiscretion. I would have advised you otherwise.
“My brother, we are distinguished colleagues with you representing the good people of Bende Federal Constituency. Whilst we elected you to be our Deputy Speaker, it does not confer on you the audacity to declare vacant the seat of the governor of Abia State in 2027.
“By your own striking admission that ‘Dr. Alex Otti is your friend, and he has done very well, too, for our people, but you, Hon. Ben Kalu owe your party, APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a duty to deliver Abia State, a Labour Party state to your party at the centre as payback for the President’s political patronage to the Southeast viz; signing the Southeast Development Commission Act, etcetera.’ What a brazen and uncontrolled outpouring of emotional fury.
“You went on to declare that the President’s party, the APC, will take over Abia State by 2027. I have known you to exhume boldness, which is often misconstrued as excessive arrogance but not this type of pugnacious instability.
“Lest that we are confused, especially in this season of significant economic hardship and high citizen expectations from those of us in government. Would it not have been advisable that we are seen focused on our legislative duties, our constituents, Abia State, and the Southeast at large?
“Sir, you must now use that all-important position as Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives to de-marginalize and reduce the agitation of our people and promote inclusiveness.”
The legislator asked Kalu to declare openly if he harbours gubernatorial ambition, rather than undermine Otti’s administration.
Aguocha said that Abia, under Otti’s leadership, has experienced a significant transformation with widespread support from the electorate.
He warned that any attempts to shift the state’s political direction would be met by strong resistance from residents.
“My beloved brother, with due respect, your comments lacked introspection and reek of recklessness, discernment, lack of humility, lack of rationality, and totally very unreasonable,” the lawmaker said.
“If your ambition is to become the governor of Abia State by 2027, it is your right, but make it plain rather than hiding yourself in the shadows of discontent and display of insincerity and intemperate political culture.
“But I assure you that as you want Abians to repay Tinubu for his good works, so shall Abians repay Alex Otti for his mammoth achievements come 2027. Alex Otti will be reelected governor of Abia State.
“My Right Honourable, this is not the first time the Southeast was blessed with the position of the Deputy Speaker. Right Honourable (Chief) Emeka Ihedioha in 2011. The opportunity now ought not to be wasted only in rubbing shoulders and chanting your No. 6 position at every opportunity.
“Sir, may it please you to note: while we appreciate President Tinubu for signing the Southeast Development Commission into law alongside Development Commissions for every geo-political zone in the country, We have not seen or heard our leader, the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, Right Honourable Dr. Tajudeen Abbas cajoling and mocking his people of the Northwest with his own feat of including the Northwest in the Development Commissions as the No 4 citizen in the federation. Humility is indeed a virtue.“
Aguocha urged Kalu to focus on his legislative duties and use his position to promote unity and development in the South East.
Headlines
US Threatens to Withhold 50% of Aid to Nigeria over Lapses in Security, Civilian Protection and Accountability
The United States is considering to withhold 50 per cent of its aid to Nigeria under a new legislative proposal that ties continued support to measurable progress on security, civilian protection, and accountability.
The U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved the measure as part of the Fiscal Year 2027 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programmes appropriations bill, reflecting growing concern in Washington over persistent violence in Africa’s most populous nation.
The broader bill allocates about $47.32 billion for foreign aid and diplomacy, a reduction of roughly six per cent from the previous year.
If enacted, the proposal would require the Secretary of State to certify that Nigeria is taking “effective steps” to address insecurity, protect civilians, and prosecute perpetrators before half of the allocated aid can be released.
Lawmakers linked the conditions to continued attacks by militant groups and violence affecting vulnerable communities.
The legislation also directs Nigerian authorities to prioritise support for victims, particularly internally displaced persons, and to facilitate the safe return and reconstruction of affected communities.
It calls for investigations and prosecutions tied to armed groups.
In addition, Nigeria would be required to match U.S. funding for supported programmes, effectively introducing a dollar-for-dollar framework that could increase pressure on government finances.
A committee statement said the bill aims to “hold foreign governments accountable for persecuting people of faith”, adding that assistance to Nigeria would remain restricted until “measurable actions are taken” to protect vulnerable populations.
The proposal also places Nigeria under heightened congressional scrutiny, requiring the U.S. administration to notify Congress at least 15 days before any funds are disbursed.
The bill, however, is yet to become law and must still pass both chambers of Congress and be signed by the U.S. president.
Nigeria has previously rejected claims that violence in the country is driven by religious persecution, arguing instead that insecurity reflects a complex mix of terrorism, banditry, and communal conflicts.
Nonetheless, the proposed measure signals a shift toward stricter U.S. oversight of foreign assistance and could reshape bilateral relations if approved.
Headlines
Peter Obi Weeps for Nigerian Workers, Says Minimum Wage Can no Longer Guarantee Modest Living
A frontline presidential aspirant on the platform of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi, has regretted that the minimum wage can no longer guarantee a most modest standard of living in Nigeria.
In a post on his X handle on Friday to mark Workers’ Day, the former Governor of Anambra State said this has happened as inflation, rising food prices, transportation costs, and economic hardship continue to erode the value of honest work.
He said no nation can truly develop beyond the strength, productivity, and wellbeing of its workforce, stressing that the progress of any society rests on the quality of its human capital, the skill of its people, and the commitment of its workers.
‘When workers suffer, the nation suffers. When workers are empowered, the nation prospers,” he noted.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections said a productive nation must be built on justice, fairness, and respect for labour, adding that “it is the Nigeria we must work together to achieve.”
Obi said through democratic participation, the Nigerian workers have the power to shape governance and determine the future direction of the nation.
He, therefore, urged Nigerian workers to recognise the strength they hold collectively.
“But beyond their labour, workers also possess another powerful tool, their voice and their vote.
“They owe it to themselves, their children, and future generations to support and demand leadership built on competence, character, capacity, credibility, and compassion. By refusing to reward failure, corruption, ethnic division, and bad governance, they can help build a nation where hard work is respected and rewarded with dignity.
“With the support and participation of Nigerian workers, a new Nigeria is possible,” said Obi.
He saluted workers across the world, especially Nigerian workers whose daily sacrifices continue to sustain our families, communities, institutions, and national economy in the face of severe hardship and uncertainty.
The Supreme Court has vacated the order of the Court of Appeal which barred the recognition of David Mark as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
The apex court on Thursday held that the preservative order by the Court of Appeal was in bad faith, unnecessary, unwarranted and improper.
In a unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court, Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba held that the Court of Appeal ought not to have made such order because it was not sought by any of the parties in the matter.
The Court of Appeal had issued an order of status quo antem bellum upon which the ADC exco under David Mark was de-recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
With the vacation of the order, David Mark and the other national officers are to be recognized as ADC leaders by the electoral body.
